Miller was born to Dr. George "Sonny" Miller, a pathologist, jazz enthusiast and amateur recording engineer, and Bertha, a jazz-influenced singer. In 1950, the family moved to Dallas, Texas. His first guitar chords were taught to him by the legendary Les Paul, pioneer of the electric guitar and also Miller's godfather. While at St. Mark's School of Texas, Miller formed his first band, The Marksmen. Miller taught classmate Royce Boz Scaggs some guitar chords so he could join the band; Scaggs became better known by his nickname, Boz. Miller attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the 1960s, where he formed The Ardells. Scaggs joined the Ardells the next year. Ben Sidran was added to the Ardells as a keyboardist the following year. Miller was only sixteen when he started college, and dropped out six credit hours shy of a literature degree. Les Paul encouraged young Miller to utilize his prodigal talents, and much of Miller's success has been attributed to Paul's tutelage during his childhood and teenage years.
Prior to forming the Steve Miller Band, Miller was in a band with Barry Goldberg called the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band. They formed in 1965, and released one single, before Miller left the band.
In 1968, Miller formed the Steve Miller Band, with Miller handling vocals, and released an album, Children of the Future, the first in a series of discs rooted solidly in the psychedelic blues style that dominated the San Francisco music scene at the time. Scaggs would leave the band after a couple of albums. Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace and Number 5 followed. These albums performed respectably on the album charts but failed to yield a hit. This first period in Steve Miller's music formed part of double album compilation "Anthology" which includes a guest appearance on drums by the then Beatle Paul McCartney on the song "My Dark Hour".
1973's The Joker marked the start of the second phase of Miller's career: more pop-oriented and simplistic, the album featured a number one hit in the U.S. in the title track as well as several other popular tunes. In fact, "The Joker" hit Number One on the UK singles chart in September 1990 after it was used on a television commercial.
Miller followed up The Joker with Fly Like an Eagle in 1976 and Book of Dreams in 1977. This pair of albums represented the peak of Miller's commercial career, both reaching the top echelons of the album charts and spawning a seemingly-endless series of hit singles, including "Rock'n Me", "Take the Money and Run", "Jet Airliner" and "Jungle Love". While critics lambasted Miller for abandoning his more ambitious approach and socially-aware lyrics for simple pop-rock and derivative blues tunes, fans gravitated towards the catchy, melodic songs in great numbers, and the Steve Miller Band co-headlined a major stadium tour with the Eagles in 1977.
On the heels of this massive success, Miller took a long hiatus from recording and touring, emerging in 1981 with Circle of Love, an ambitious album possibly intended to appease critics of his new style. Sales were disappointing, however, and in 1982 he returned to the pop formula with another hit album, Abracadabra. This was Miller's last great commercial success; a series of collections, live albums and attempts to find a new style appeared sporadically, but after 1993 Miller gave up producing records altogether. However, he collaborated with Paul McCartney on the former Beatle's 1997 Grammy-nominated album, Flaming Pie.
My own space
Steve Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time to throw away my problems
Cause I made 'em up myself
So I took all those worries, put 'em up on a shelf
And headed on down to the sea shore
Clouds slowly passin' as I walked on the sand
I picked up a seashell and I made up my plan
As I reached my destiny
Whoa ho ho ho oh oh oh whoa
I feel free
Whoa ho ho ho oh oh oh whoa
Where I can have my own space
I walked on the beach in the early morn
I ran on the sand till I could breathe no more
I stood on a rock looking out at the sea
And believed what I said when I said
I feel free
Whoa ho ho ho oh oh oh whoa
I feel free
Whoa ho ho ho oh oh oh whoa
Where I can have my own space
The song "My Own Space" by Steve Miller Band is about finding peace and freedom by leaving behind the self-made problems and worries. The lyrics describe the singer sitting on a hilltop, letting go of the troubles and heading towards the seashore. The sea or the beach represents a place where he can find solace, silence, and contemplation. The singer picks up a seashell, which symbolizes his plan or purpose. As he walks on the beach, he feels the spirit of life in his hand, and he knows that he has arrived at his destiny.
The next verse describes the singer enjoying the early morning on the beach, running on the sand, and looking out at the sea from a rock. He believes that he is free from all the problems he made up himself. The song ends with him repeating the lines "I feel free" and "Where I can have my own space," emphasizing his sense of liberation and the importance of solitude.
Overall, "My Own Space" is about finding a place where one can be true to oneself and be at peace with one's thoughts, away from the distractions of the world. It is a song about self-discovery and the importance of taking time for oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' high on a hillside takin' in all the growth
I am sitting on a hill, surrounded by nature, reflecting on the things that have been growing around me.
Time to throw away my problems
It's time for me to stop worrying or thinking about my problems.
Cause I made 'em up myself
My problems are a result of my own thinking or behavior.
So I took all those worries, put 'em up on a shelf
I decided to stop thinking about my worries, and put them away for now.
And headed on down to the sea shore
I went to the beach to clear my mind and escape my worries for a while.
Clouds slowly passin' as I walked on the sand
As I walked on the sand, I noticed the clouds moving slowly overhead.
I picked up a seashell and I made up my plan
I found a seashell and used it as inspiration to make a plan for my life.
I could feel the spirit of life in my hand
I felt a connection to something bigger than myself, a sense of aliveness.
As I reached my destiny
I've reached the place that I wanted to go or the state that I wanted to achieve.
Whoa ho ho ho oh oh oh whoa
This is a vocalization indicating a strong feeling of joy or freedom.
I feel free
I feel unburdened and released from my worries.
Where I can have my own space
This is a place where I feel like I can be myself without any external pressures or expectations.
I walked on the beach in the early morn
I took a walk on the beach in the early morning.
I ran on the sand till I could breathe no more
I ran on the sand until I was so tired that I couldn't continue.
I stood on a rock looking out at the sea
I climbed a rock and looked at the ocean from a higher vantage point.
And believed what I said when I said
When I spoke about feeling free earlier, I actually believed it then and now as well.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JASON COOPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind